Citris Tilapia with Wild Rice/Mushroom Combo and Steamed Vegetables

Really tasty but far too healthy!

Ingredients
1 lb. tilapia fillets (4-5)
juice from one large orange
zest of the entire orange, separated into two portions
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried cilantro (can use basil)
1/2 tsp. tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup wild rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped wild mushrooms
assorted uncooked vegetables


Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Roll the orange around on the counter under pressure to loosen the inner membranes and release the juice inside. Zest the entire orange, reserving it in two equal halves. Oh, and if you don't have a Microplane, get one. No other grater, 'zester' or other tool works this well! After zesting the orange, squeeze out all the juice you can, and discard the hull. Here you see a half-zested orange and the collected zest so far:


Bring rice and chicken stock to a boil, cover and reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes, or following the package instructions, or until just under done.

Put the OJ, half of the zest, butter, red pepper flakes. cilantro and tarragon in a bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds at a time until butter melts.


Rinse fish and pat dry; lightly spray the oven-proof baking dish with Pam to prevent sticking and then lay the fish in the baking dish.


Season to taste with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Whisk the orange sauce well, and pour evenly over fish, and immediately put it in the oven.


Steam vegetables until just done, do not overcook.

Set the timer for 7 minutes so you can start checking on the fish. It needs to bake for 7-10 - check every minute - until fish reaches 150°F on an accurate instant-read thermometer. Here it is all cooked:


When the rice is just about done, add the chopped mushrooms to the rice and mix well; cover and turn off heat.

Plate the cooked fish, vegetables and rice. Distribute remaining orange zest over cooked fish. Drizzle remaining sauce in cooking dish over vegetables. Serve. Prepare to wish you had made more. See picture at the beginning...

Makes 4 servings.